Gisleham Quarry

This disused quarry contains good sections of the chalky boulder clay seen at Pakefield and Corton. The rain washes fossils out of the beds, and you can find ammonites, belemnites and (if lucky) reptile remains on the surface of the exposures.

DIRECTIONS

♦ From the A12, head towards Lowestoft. At Kessingland, continue along the duel carriageway until you reach the next roundabout.
♦ From there, take the first left towards Gisleham. Continue along this road and it will veer south. Keep going until you come to some houses and a sharp bend. There is a trackway ahead, but the road veers round to the west
♦ You can park along the side of the road on the grass. From here, it is a short walk down the trackway. You will come to an iron gate, but the footpath to the side of the iron gate takes you to the entrance of the quarry. Walk through the quarry and then turn to the left.
♦ Ref: 52.43413°N, 1.71186°E

PROFILE INFO

FIND FREQUENCY: ♦♦♦ – You can find some good fossils at Gisleham Quarry, but it is best to visit after heavy rain as fossils are washed out of the clay. Ammonites and belemnites are the most common finds, but most are fragmentary.CHILDREN: ♦♦ – All quarries tend to be unsuitable for children, either used or disused, as there are too many dangers. In addition, vehicles still use this quarry for dumping building waste, so this location is not recommended for children.ACCESS: ♦♦♦ – Gisleham Quarry is easy to find. You can park nearby and it is a short walk.TYPE: – Fossils are found in the slopes of the old disused quarry, which have been washed out by the rain.

The most common finds are belemnites and ammonites. The rain washes these out of the clay and you can find them on the bottom of the slopes in this disused quarry. All you need is a good eye and a little patience.

GEOLOGY

The quarry consists of the Chalky Boulder Clay, formed during glaciation, in which the glaciers scrapped the land and brought many rocks from the north. The boulder clay contains many Kimmeridge Clay rocks, some Oolite rocks and chalk.

SAFETY

Although disused, Gisleham Quarry is now a dumping site for building waste. Although the area with boulder clay is away from the area now being used for this purpose, you have to walk through an area where large moving vehicles are present.

EQUIPMENT

The best fossils are collected on the surface, which have been washed from the clay. A knife is handy to remove these, but you don’t need any other tools. Remember to take something to put your fossils in.

ACCESS RIGHTS

This quarry is currently a dumping ground for building waste, so please make sure you ask before entering. You can however access on Sundays when vehicles are not allow and a footpath runs through the site.
It is important to follow our ‘Code of Conduct’ when collecting fossils or visiting any site. Please also read our ‘Terms and Conditions‘

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The Stamford and Geological Society ( Dr Christopher Jeans)December 14, 2016Tinwell Village Hall near Stamford.An evening with Dr Christopher Jeans Talk titled: Murder and geochemistry began at Christmas 1999: a personal viewpoint. Christopher Jean’s Research Interests. Christopher Jeans is a self-supported consultant post-doctoral worker, and an affiliated member of the QPG. He is a research earth scientist specialising in the geology, petrology and geochemistry of sedimentary rocks and soils…

The Stamford and District Geological Society. (Plesiosaurs)January 11, 2017Tinwell Village Hall, near StamfordRichard Forrest a Vertebrate palaeontologist, specialising in plesiosaurs and other marine reptiles. Will host a talk titled : PSYCHO KNIVES AND WITHERS WEDGES—EXCAVATING A PLESIOSAUR This event is free to members of The Stamford and District Geological Society. And for visitors a charge of £3 please. You can also apply for membership on the night.…

UKAFH Whitehaven, CumbriaJanuary 22, 2017Whitehaven, CumbriaThe foreshore and cliffs at Whitehaven are famed for their Carboniferous plant remains. Many of the plant fossils that can be obtained here are of exceptional preservation and whilst the section in the cliff provides good collecting opportunities, the section of foreshore beneath exposes beds of Bolsovian age (311.7-306.5 Mya, formerly Westphalian C)

Stamford and District Geological Society.February 8, 2017Tinwell Village Hall near StamfordAn evenings talk by Colin Prosser on The History of Geological Conversation. Full details to follow. The event is free to members of The Stamford and District Geological Society and for visitors a charge of £3 please. You can also apply for the membership on the night. Link: http://www.stamfordgeolsoc.org/event/an-evening-with-dr-colin-prosser/